It appears that Oprah Winfrey wants religious discourse to be dominated by Universalism. She has become very popular on an extreme level in both social and political realms. Many Christians are feeling pressured into adopting her perspective or least becoming less verbal about their own. She played a significant role in the promotion of Barack Obama during his journey to the White House.

Oprah and the Obama’s have been longtime friends. The Obamas have expressed that they accept Oprah’s message of “many paths” to having an “experience with God”. Barak and Michelle have professed that they are Christians. The problem is that their former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, taught them that Jesus is not the only way, hell isn’t real, heaven will accept practicing homosexuals, and black liberation theology is a foundational truth. Oprah transitioned from attending the church led by Rev. Jeremiah Wright to becoming a catalyst for the global promotion of Universalism through radio, television, and the Oprah magazine.

Once of Oprah’s sources of truth is A Course in Miracles. It purports that sin is fictitious. This concept makes room for behaving however one sees fit. This is relativism of a moral nature. What you call sin may not be sin to me. Therefore, a woman’s right to choose is more powerful than the baby’s right to live in her womb.

The Bible is not vague concerning the issues of the right of the unborn child, the act of homosexuality, or cohabitation. Scriptures relating to these vital Christian standards are not based on “obscure” passages of scripture as Barack Obama has stated in his book, The Audacity of Hope. Yet, the ideology of Oprah and Obama is pervading our culture with a vengeance. Traditional Christianity is perceived by these proponents as backward, out of touch, and unintelligent. By the mere fact of a media or political person’s powerful communication abilities, Christians are being deceived and shamed into silence or compliance.

In my new book, The Oprahfication of Our Culture, I call this acquiescence cultural Christianity. The time has come for followers of Christ to avoid accommodation by being “uncultured” Christians. Believers must refuse to draw back into our storm shelters and complain. Be vocally confident about your morals and values! Take a stand and no matter what happens, keep standing! Don’t be browbeaten into reticence.

Are we still a center/right country or are we progressing more toward the fanatical left in philosophy? Three states, California, Arizona and Florida, just attested conservative values by passing constitutional amendments maintaining traditional marriage as being between a man and a woman, a real setback to the homosexual program. Yet, lawsuits have been sponsored in California to try and annul the will of the people. Is a preacher open game for litigation by instigators who provoke him to quote the Bible from his podium, because their analysis of scripture is that of “hate speech?” Does the Bible contravene certain suppositional civil rights? Do those civil rights abolish the freedom of speech and of religion we have rejoiced in for over two hundred years in our distinguished country? Is America sliding down a slippery slope?

It looks like the prophet Isaiah discerned this interval in our history when he said, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20 The Amplified Bible

Things seem to be taking a 180 degree turn. Followers of Christ are characterized as hate mongering dogmatists for simply varying from “politically correct” views of the cultural aristocracy in New York, Washington and Hollywood. In spite of these very forthright, well capitalized, extremist, left inclined voices, Christians are advised to be watchmen on the wall and sound the alarm (Mark 13:35-37). The Bible is not hate speech. It is the archetype of righteousness in an progressively decaying world. Be not silent. Observe, pray, and communicate. Stand up for truth.

It appears that Oprah Winfrey wants religious discourse to be dominated by Universalism. She has become very popular on an extreme level in both social and political realms. Many Christians are feeling pressured into adopting her perspective or least becoming less verbal about their own. She played a significant role in the promotion of Barack Obama during his journey to the White House.

Oprah and the Obama’s have been longtime friends. The Obamas have expressed that they accept Oprah’s message of “many paths” to having an “experience with God”. Barak and Michelle have professed that they are Christians. The problem is that their former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, taught them that Jesus is not the only way, hell isn’t real, heaven will accept practicing homosexuals, and black liberation theology is a foundational truth. Oprah transitioned from attending the church led by Rev. Jeremiah Wright to becoming a catalyst for the global promotion of Universalism through radio, television, and the Oprah magazine.

A Course in Miracles is touted by Oprah as one of her sources of truth. A Course in Miracles claims that sin doesn’t exist. Isn’t that convenient. If you remove the concept of sin, then any behavior is acceptable. This commonly referred to as moral relativism. Just because you think something is sinful doesn’t mean it is sinful to someone else. It is this moral foundation that allows for a woman’s rights to be more important that the rights of the child in her womb.

The Bible is not ambiguous concerning the subjects of the right of the unborn child, practicing homosexuality, or fornication. Scriptures relating to these essential Christian doctrines are not based on “obscure” passages of scripture as Barack Obama has commented in his book, The Audacity of Hope. Yet, the beliefs of Oprah and Obama are strongly affecting our culture with a retribution. Traditional Christianity is perceived by these advocates as regressive, uninformed, and moronic. By the mere fact of a media or political person’s commanding oratory abilities, Christians are being persuaded and manipulated into quietude or acquiescence.

In my new book, The Oprahfication of Our Culture, I call this silence cultural Christianity. It is time for believers to avoid compromise by being “uncultured” Christians. This is not the hour for believers to cower into the corners of society and hope for the best. Speak out for what you believe! Stand up and having done all to stand, stand! Don’t be intimidated into silence.

Are we still a center/right country or are we advancing more toward the extremist left in ideology? Three states, California, Arizona and Florida, just asserted conservative values by passing constitutional amendments corroborating traditional marriage as being between a man and a woman, a real hindrance to the homosexual agenda. Yet, lawsuits have been proposed in California to try and abrogate the will of the people. Is a church leader open game for litigation by pundits who challenge him to quote the Bible from his platform, because their perspective of scripture is that of “hate speech?” Does the Bible breach certain assumed civil rights? Do those civil rights negate the freedom of speech and of religion we have appreciated for over two hundred years in our awesome country? Where does the path that we are on lead?

It would appear that the prophet Isaiah beheld this season in our history when he said, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20 The Amplified Bible

Things seem to be taking a 180 degree turn. Followers of Christ are characterized as hate mongering dogmatists for simply varying from “politically correct” views of the cultural aristocracy in New York, Washington and Hollywood. In spite of these very forthright, well capitalized, extremist, left inclined voices, Christians are advised to be watchmen on the wall and sound the alarm (Mark 13:35-37). The Bible is not hate speech. It is the archetype of righteousness in an progressively decaying world. Be not silent. Observe, pray, and communicate. Stand up for truth.

Downloading audio books offers many benefits to book lovers, not the least of which is that it is extremely simple.

People who haven’t experienced online audio books may be hesitant to do so. If you are unsure if this is for you, take a look at the following advantages that are yours when you download audio books.

The first advantage lies in the convenience that you’ll have. You do not have to actually leave the house in order to get the books, and this means that you can download the files anytime you want, morning, noon, or night.

When you download audio books, you also have the choice of how you’re going to listen to them. You can download them and leave them on your computer’s hard drive or transfer them to an MP3 file and enjoy it on your iPod. The choice is yours; either way, you get to enjoy your book when and how you want.

This is a lot faster than you could ever hope for if you were to drive to the store in order to purchase audio book CDs or even traditionally bound books.

One area that is particularly convenient to parents is the ease with which they can get children’s books. This can be especially helpful before big trips or when you need to get work done. You simply download some audio books, and your children have plenty to keep them busy and happy.

Another reason why so many people download audio books: price. Stores just can’t offer the exceptionally low price you get from digital downloads.

The cost of traditional books is driven up because the venders have to make up the money they invest in selling books: the overhead for the business itself, the paper for the books, the ink for the words, the box for the CD, and more. Even online, you have to pay for all this and shipping.

You can save a considerable amount of money when you download audio books because the overhead costs are significantly less and are not passed on to you.

Next time you are going to buy books, download audio books instead. You’ll love the results.

When you download an audio book, you get all the benefits of great literature at a fraction of the price and with added convenience. Enjoy!

Teaching phonics will help children understand the relationship between the letters that they see and the sounds they make. Many school programs teach phonics to help young children learn to read, although they might include some whole or sight words in the material as well.

Teaching Phonics: The number one step in using phonics when you are helping a child learn to read is to make sure that you are moving at a comfortable pace for the child.. He or she will need to understand the difference between vowels and consonants, and have the ability to decipher the different sounds of the letters in a word. The first words your child will learn to read will be c-v-c, consonant-vowel-consonant, words such as dog, cat and hat. Easy words such as these will help your child comprehend the relationship between the sounds in a word, so that they can be easily deciphered.

The First Words: The first words that your child reads will probably be words that you have went over and sounded out together. For example, if you are teaching your child the sounds of the letters r, u and n then you should include the word “run” in any of the beginning readers that you are using. Don’t expect your child to be able to read any words with letters that they do not know the basic sounds for. Once your child knows all of the sounds of the vowels and consonants, then you can begin to expect your child to read simple books on their own. Books with short, simple sentences are best for teaching phonics based instruction.

There are a variety of types of plans available for teaching phonics based lessons, but the best ones are those that use both spoken and written components. Helping your child learn to read is perhaps easiest when you have a phonics CD or dvd to provide the sounds, while your child works along in a workbook to help associate the sounds with the letters of the alphabet.

Most children love using flash cards and they can be helpful when you are teaching a child to read. They can be used as a way to quickly go over the sounds of the alphabet, or to use as a component of a cd or dvd to help your child learn to recognize each letter.

Exceptions: Like all subjects, there are exceptions to the rules of phonics. You should begin teaching your child these exceptions only after they have learned the basic sounds of the alphabet, and are ready to begin to learn sight words.

While teaching your child to read is going to take up much of the first few years of learning for a complete understanding to take place. Don’t stress if it takes time for your child to completely understand phonics.

Quilters can often find a large variety of discount quilting books on eBay. In addition to the rock-bottom prices, there are several other advantages for buying quilting books on eBay:

New quilting book titles can often be purchased before they are released to the brick and mortar stores. Quilters who enjoy collecting books written by a particular author can often find a seller listing their entire collection on eBay.

Rare, out-of-print, and otherwise hard-to-find quilting books can often be found for sale on eBay. Before purchasing any quilting books on eBay there are several important things to be aware of. Here are five useful tips for buying discount quilting books on eBay:

Pay Attention to the Advertised Condition Be sure to carefully read the description of the quilting book offered for sale. If a book is advertised as being ’second hand,’ or ‘used condition’ be aware that the book may contain flaws such as page discoloration, and scratches, bends, and folds on the cover.

Be Aware of The Book’s History Many quilting books offered for sale on eBay are acquired from estate sales. That means that the buyer does not know the history of the book being offered for sale. The book may have been in storage for months and could have a musty odor or smell faintly of mothballs.

This is important to be aware of if you have allergies or are sensitive to odors. If the book actually belonged to the seller, they will often disclose if the book came from a smoke-free or pet-free home in the description. Some sellers, however, do not provide this information. When in doubt, always ask!

Watch Those Shipping Costs

Most sellers will ship quilting books via US Postal Service Media Mail or Parcel Post. The shipping cost, therefore, is generally not that great, unless the book being sold is oversized or a large lot is purchased. However it is important to note that not every seller will charge ‘actual’ shipping costs. Those special ‘handling’ costs that are often tacked on can include such items as tape, packing envelopes, time spent packing the books, etc.

Many sellers offer to consolidate orders, for multiple wins. This can save greatly on shipping costs. Some sellers even offer free pickup for local buyers. Read The Return Policy

Always read the return policy. Be aware that a seller will not offer a refund just because a buyer changed their mind about purchasing the quilting book. Some will refund the purchase cost if the item is not as described. Normally, however, the buyer is responsible for the cost of the return shipping. If the item is damaged during transit, a seller will not offer a refund unless insurance was purchased.

If you follow these four buying tips, buying discount quilting books on eBay will be a rewarding, profitable, and pleasant experience.

If you like crafts then you can really benefit from craft books. You will be able to make your own tools, design things with your own hands, giving them the most unique ornamental look.

A good craft book will extend your ideas and creativeness for new products. Many craft books are written to help you commercialize your products. The most gifted crafter will fall short if they are ineffective in selling their crafts.

People who have never worked on crafts or want to teach their kids about this hobby or small business can take that first step with the help of craft books. Not all parents and teachers can be creative and this is where craft books come in for a big help.

Over the years, it has been observed that women and kids are fonder towards this art, but in modern times men have also taken up crafts as a hobby. The numbers; nevertheless, are too stark where men are concerned. More women are involved with crafts, as this is an ideal work at home business or hobby.

The art of crafting can be very useful in saving money too. You can develop a unique piece of art to gift your friend of relative. You can even decorate your house with your own creative imaginations using stuff that seems like waste.

You can plan the walls of your living room and surprise your friends. Create paintings for your walls with your own talent. You can make a skillful picture frame for that unforgettable wedding picture. There are number of things that you can do with such an art.

Even if you consider yourself to be a layman, the guidelines and designs given in these books will help you to get to that level from where you can develop variety of finished craft products. There are many good craft books on topics such as leather craft, woodworking, beading, scrapbooking and many other crafts. It is important to find a craft that you like or have a passion for and then develop this interest into a small business.

You get craft books for all ages and groups of people. From kids to master crafters, everybody can benefit from craft books. The web has a wide range of teaching and marketing craft books. Find an area that you have an interest in and evolve that passion into a fun, gratifying small business.

The following Christian book reviews are from our miscellaneous category, which is part of a 13 part series I did. This 13 part series is a collection of what I believe are some of the best books on the market.

“Your Best Life Now” by Joel Osteen

This particular book has easily become a national bestseller and has effortlessly stirred the interest of bookworms all over the world. Joel Osteen has earned an impeccable reputation of being one of the most highly regarded writers of his generation and an authority on biblical teachings. He has shown exceptional proficiency in his knowledge, and is leading on of the biggest churches in the United States today.

I believe the man is truly appointed by the Lord, even though many criticize him for being seeker-sensitive in some of his sermons. This book will provide readers with practical knowledge and wisdom on how to get the most out of your life in the Lord with what He is calling you to do for Him.

“God’s Generals: Why They Succeeded” by Roberts Liardon

For people who are seeking to learn about the most celebrated saints in the past and have walked what is regarded as the higher level such as the likes of Kathryn Kuhlmann, AimeeSemple Mcpherson and Marie Woodworth-Etter, this book provides readers basic information about their ministries. It recounts how these saints have started with their callings and the incredible occurrences that have occurred during their services with the Lord.

This book is a fascinating read into saints who were not afraid to push the envelope with God and how they learned how to walk with some of the highest levels of the anointing that any human has ever walked before. There is much to learn from both their successes and some of their failures. This is the only book I know that goes into very good basic detail into all of these people’s lives.

Billy Graham – “The Holy Spirit”

A very good, solid book on the Holy Spirit from one of the greatest evangelists of all time. He goes into the 9 gifts and 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit, along with showing you how the Holy Spirit convicts and leads sinners to the Lord for eternal salvation. This book is solid teaching from start to finish covering everything from who the Holy Spirit is and how He will work to lead us into a deeper and closer walk with the Lord. I believe this book to be one of the best teaching books on the Holy Spirit and the personal ministry that He has with each one of us as we journey through this life.

“Maximizing the Moment: God’s Action Plan for Your Life” by T. D. Jakes

One of the greatest pastors and teachers of today, T.D. Jakes, is a truly gifted speaker. This is especially true to those who watched him preach on TV in the area of motivating the saints to become everything that God is calling them to become in Him in this life. Jakes is one of the most intense speakers of our time.

This book goes into very good detail on how to maximize with whatever God is calling you to do for Him in this life. He covers how to get released from your hurtful past and how to face and overcome obstacles and roadblocks that will come your way once you fully submit to God and start to walk in the divine destiny that He has set up for your life.

On my 18th birthday, my friend Kelly and I made appointments at our local tattoo parlor to celebrate our adulthood. Kelly already knew what she wanted to get. She had forever been a fan of Tigger, and that is exactly what she felt she needed to have permanently drawn on her. I thought that a childish tattoo wasn’t exactly a celebration of adulthood. I didn’t really know what I wanted, but I knew that I wanted it to be something that meant something to me. Perhaps something that symbolized who I was. We arrived an hour early for our appointments so that I could look through the stacks and stacks of tattoo books. I was not sure what I was hoping those tattoo books would show me, but I knew that I would know it when I found it.

The first tattoo books I glanced through had some incredibly scary looking artwork that I couldn’t imagine anyone would ever want. Apparently, people did though. I wanted something feminine and simple that would look attractive on my ankle. I wasn’t really sure what exactly would represent me for years and years but I knew those tattoo books would show me something perfect.

For about a half hour I waded through the tattoo books, there were pages of hideous tattoos, but also some beautiful ones. However, I was at a loss, nothing stood out and said “choose me!” By this stage I was beginning to feel discouraged, one of the tattoo artists must have sensed this and started to ask me questions about myself. What did I like, what were my beliefs? That kind of thing! After a short while he sorted through the tattoo books and chose one, flicking through the pages, he came to what he thought I was looking for and pointed.

He showed me a small rainbow colored dolphin, it was attractive and dainty. It was what I was looking for, I am an artist and I felt that the colors and the dolphin were both representative of the kind of person I was. I loved dolphins and the ocean, I set down the other tattoo books and nodding to him, I realized I had found my perfect tattoo.

Some time ago I had the opportunity to look through tattoo books again. This after a friend asked me to help her find the perfect tattoo. She seemed to be having the same problem I experienced, and no matter how many tattoo books we looked at, we couldn’t find the right one. Finally glancing through one of the tattoo books bore fruit, and we found her perfect tattoo. She was happy, I was happy that she was happy and if you want the perfect tattoo, I would suggest you seek the help of tattoo books to find it.

Audio books are not a new invention, in fact, they have been around since 1933 when J.P.Harrington began recording stories and histories of native tribes. The newest development means that as well as being available in CDs and cassette tapes, you can now download them from the shops on the internet. Downloading audio books is an effortless process and is very convenient; you can even do it now.

Learn new things by downloading the audio version of a novel and it is a super method to enjoy a new novel. There are plenty of places to go online to find them with all sorts of titles available, from non-fiction to romance and much more. They are cheaper than the original publication of a book, and often less than the softcover one too! It is very easy to find free versions too – a quick online search will reveal many to download free of charge. Free downloads are offered by libraries if the book was published before 1923 or 95 years before the most recent January. Royalties are no longer paid for books in the public domain so they may be shared freely.

The process to begin an audio book download is as simple as clicking your mouse. Discover online bookstores by performing a search on the internet. Following registration with an internet retailer downloading audio books will become very easy. When you’ve decided which books that you wish to hear, click the download button. You can listen to the audio books from your computer or burn it onto a disc or put the file onto your mp3 player once the download is complete.

Most people have very little spare time and are too busy to sit down long enough to read a story, but this is not an issue if you download audio books. Encourage your children to enjoy some of the greatest books ever written with audio books which are also economical and readily available. The best way to enjoy a good story if you are in a rush is to download them and this way you can also learn a new skill. It’s simple to find free downloads of audio books if you search for them and don’t forget there are free audio books supplied by numerous libraries.

A very active retired pastor of 40 years gave me quite a caning with this Scripture 1 Tim 1.4 “nor to be taken up with with myths and never ending genealogies.. “. After I had been preaching about the death burial and resurrection of Jesus had simply made some interesting observations.

He listened, as I asked them if I had said anything that was of heresy, and he said. “No”. He just would not accept it when I suggested that this Scripture was referring to the false teachings of Gnosticism and was in no way speaking of honest enquiry into Scripture.

Gnosticism had been so influential in the new Testament times, and the new Testament writings, how could a pastor of 40 years experience not know this. It is important for pastors to know these things, and to teach their congregation in order that they might understand and interpret their Bible well.

It is unfortunate that so many pastors in our churches will preach shallow and light weight messages, and the result is that their people will hardly grow in and Scripture and interpretation. Preachers love to give to us ‘moral essays’ and ‘warming affirmations’ because, supposedly, if we truly ‘love’ others this is what we will do.

Well, who cares if God’s people are falling through the cracks ‘for a lack of knowledge’ (oracle), what’s really important, is if we are very positive and ‘nice’ to everybody.

Think about it, the more ‘relevant’ Christians become, to the world, the less relevant christians are in reality, to the world. :-(

There is far more to the Kingdom than ‘feel good’ messages and favorite topics. Teachers preach on a text from Song of Solomon as well as a piece about a man of courage from 2 Samuel; topical sermon from Luke followed by the a firm belief in god of Jeremiah or the integrity of Lot.

We preach a portion from here and another from there, but we need to put it all together in a clear understandable format.

Constantly we are bombarded with new publications and modernist ideas, some of them dangerously leaning toward Liberal theology. We are repeating history, but if we were to teach the basics of Church history, we would be more equipped to avoid repeating that history.

Let us correctly prepare the Church to understand God and the Bible, but piecing together the fragments of his Word into a beautiful seamless mosaic.

This is not difficult to attain, if we put in some good prayer and study.

John 17:17 Sanctify them in the Truth: Thy Word is Truth. (AV)